HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Houston County, Texas (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Houston County is $978 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$978
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$880 to $1,076
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$39,120
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Texas
184th of 254
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Houston moves to $1,046. That's up 7%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Houston actually rent for?
Search any address in Houston for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $740 | $666 to $814 | $29,600 | $14.23/hr | +4.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $745 | $671 to $820 | $29,800 | $14.33/hr | +4.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $978 | $880 to $1,076 | $39,120 | $18.81/hr | +4.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,204 | $1,084 to $1,324 | $48,160 | $23.15/hr | +4.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,295 | $1,166 to $1,425 | $51,800 | $24.90/hr | +4.7% |
5 to 8 bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $1,489 | $1,340 to $1,638 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,684 | $1,516 to $1,852 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,878 | $1,690 to $2,066 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,072 | $1,865 to $2,279 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Houston, that runs from $740 for a studio up to $1,295 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Houston sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Crockett included.
Among Texas's 254 counties, Houston ranks 184th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 7% below the state median of $1,054 and about 4% below the national median county at $1,018. About 22,107 people live here, 107th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $970 in 75844 (Grapeland) and $1,210 in 75847 (Kennard), with the 6 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Houston somewhere between $880 and $1,076. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$978 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $39,120 a year. Put another way, $19 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($880) | HAP at 100% ($978) | HAP at 110% ($1,076) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $130 | $228 | $326 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 5% from FY 2025 ($933) to FY 2026 ($978). Since FY 2020 it's up 37% in total, about 5.4% a year. The Texas median moved up 7% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $529 | $542 | $714 | $890 | $967 | — |
| FY 2021 | $538 | $557 | $734 | $913 | $995 | +2.8% |
| FY 2022 | $563 | $578 | $761 | $941 | $1,032 | +3.7% |
| FY 2023 | $623 | $635 | $826 | $1,007 | $1,110 | +8.5% |
| FY 2024 | $708 | $712 | $926 | $1,148 | $1,233 | +12.1% |
| FY 2025 | $707 | $711 | $933 | $1,149 | $1,237 | +0.8% |
| FY 2026 | $740 | $745 | $978 | $1,204 | $1,295 | +4.8% |
| FY 2027 | $795 | $829 | $1,046 | $1,302 | $1,375 | +7.0% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$978 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $740 for a studio, $745 for one bedroom, $1,204 for three and $1,295 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent.
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords.
Rent affordability calculator
See what income a household needs for a given rent.
What does a rental in Houston actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Houston for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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